1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the transportation of wheeled vehicles in the bed of a truck such as a pickup truck and more particularly, to a stabilizing arm for securing and stabilizing an all-terrain vehicle in the bed of a pickup truck. The stabilizing arm may be fixed or adjustable and is preferably constructed of box tubing, as hereinafter described.
One of the problems which is involved in securing a wheeled vehicle, including an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in the bed of trucks, and typically pickup trucks, is that of devising a strap, chain or harness system for securely anchoring the wheeled vehicle to the bed and/or sides of the pickup truck without slipping or loosening of the restraints during travel. Conventional straps with buckles are typically used to achieve this end, but are prone to loosen due to the vibration, stress and strain of tension applied when the wheeled vehicle lurches in the truck bed responsive to braking and accleration of the truck. Since the wheeled vehicle, typically an all-terrain vehicle, may be longer than the bed of a pickup truck between the tailgate and the cab, the tailgate must usually be lowered during transit. Accordingly, if the straps, cords, ropes or other restaints which secure the wheeled vehicle in the bed of the pickup truck loosen sufficiently, the wheeled vehicle may actually fall from the bed and tailgate of the pickup truck or damage the cab of the truck during braking and acceleration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical restraints for maintaining wheeled vehicles such as lawnmowers, all-terrain vehicles and the like in the beds of trucks such as pickup trucks, include chains, bungee cords, ropes and straps having buckles of various description, which restraints are normally attached to cleats or tie-down openings or rails provided in the pickup truck bed and/or sides and secured to the wheeled vehicle. Other restraint systems are more elaborate and include chains that wrap around the wheels of the vehicle which are closest to the tailgate, which chains connect to a bar and cleat system for maintaining the wheeled vehicle in the bed of the pickup truck during transportation.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved stabilizing arm for mounting on a truck and stabilizing and securing a wheeled vehicle in the bed of the truck.
Another object of the invention is to provide a one-piece stabilizing arm for securing a wheeled vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle in the bed of a truck such as a pickup truck, both during transportation and while the truck is at rest, which stabilizing arm is designed to couple to an ATV ball mounted on the all-terrain vehicle and to the conventional trailer hitch of the truck to secure the all-terrain vehicle in the bed of the truck.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable stabilizing arm for securing a wheeled vehicle such as a n ATV in the bed of a truck such as a pickup truck, the stabilizing arm having a drawbar for insertion in the drawbar receptacle of the conventional trailer hitch of the pickup truck, a support that selectively slides and pivots or rotates in a sleeve mounted on the drawbar and a support arm extending from the support and fitted with a fixed or pivotable coupler for removably attaching to the ATV ball of the all-terrain vehicle and securing the all-terrain vehicle in the bed of the pickup truck.
Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable stabilizing arm for securing and maintaining an all-terrain vehicle having an ATV ball in the bed of a pickup truck, both during transportation and while the truck is at rest. The stabilizing arm is characterized by a typically box tubing drawbar designed for insertion and optional locking in the trailer hitch receptacle of a conventional trailer hitch mounted on the pickup truck, a typically box tubing support sleeve fixed to the drawbar and slidably receiving a typically box tubing support, one end of which support mounts a support arm having a fixed or pivotable coupler for attachment to the ATV ball of the all-terrain vehicle located in the pickup truck bed and the other end of the support provided with a cylindrical support leg. The device facilitates selective securing of the ATV in the bed of the pickup truck and uncoupling of the coupler from the ATV ball and pivoting or rotating the hitch arm in the support sleeve at the cylindrical support leg and loading and unloading of the all-terrain vehicle into and from the bed of the pickup truck, respectively.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a stabilizing arm for stabilizing and securing an all-terrain vehicle fitted with an ATV ball, in the bed of a pickup truck for transportation, which stabilizing arm is designed to removably mount on the conventional trailer hitch of the pickup truck and couple to the ATV ball of the all-terrain vehicle located in the bed of the pickup truck. In an adjustable embodiment the stabilizing arm includes a drawbar adapted to seat in the trailer hitch receptacle of the pickup truck trailer hitch and mount on a support sleeve slidably receiving a vertically-oriented support, with a clamp threaded into the support sleeve and selectively engaging the support for vertically adjusting the support with respect to the support sleeve. A hitch arm extends from the top end of the support and is fitted with a fixed or selectively pivotable coupler for attaching the hitch arm to the ATV ball mounted on the all-terrain vehicle and in a preferred embodiment, an offset leg stop is provided on the bottom end of the support for selectively removing the support from the support sleeve. Uncoupling of the coupler from the ATV ball and pivoting or rotating of the support with respect to the support sleeve upon loosening of the clamp, also rotates the hitch arm and coupler from the all-terrain vehicle. Lowering of the hitch arm and coupler with the support below the plane of the tailgate of the pickup truck facilitates loading and unloading of the all-terrain vehicle from the pickup truck bed, typically by means of ramps.